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October 6, 2011

{OrganizedHome} Day 6: A Peek Inside My Kitchen

[Welcome! If you are just joining me now, this is the 6th post in a series called 31 Days to an Organized Home. You can see what the series is all about, and all the posts published so far by going here.]

Today I am inviting you to take a peek inside my kitchen and see how I've turned it into an functional space that works well for our family. It's a looooong post with a lot of pictures, so if you need to top up your coffee or go to the ladies room, I recommend you do that now...

Okay, you're back? And ready? Here we go....

On my fridge I have a chalkboard to quickly jot down groceries I need to get.

Notice the small white dishpan on top of my fridge for hiding dirty dishes. When people come for dinner I can easily stash the last minute dinner prep dishes in that dishpan to be dealt with later.

I keep a stack of pretty little bowls on the counter to use as prep bowls.

I keep my steak knives from sliding around in the drawer with a strip of magnet wrapped in contact paper. I adhered it to the drawer using double sided tape.

Because my kids reach into this drawer I didn't want the knife blades exposed. I made a cover for them by wrapping a piece of cardboard in contact paper with another strip of magnet on the bottom to keep it in place

I love this solution because it used things I already had around the house!

My pot lids are held in place by a tension rod placed across the front of a drawer.

This cabinet was tricky to get a decent photo of because it's narrow and tucked in the corner. It holds our barbecue utensils and cutting boards. Some of the barbecue items are suspended from the side of the cabinet on hooks.

A corner cabinet holds serving dishes and small appliances.

The upper corner cabinet holds some breakfast supplies and all of the coffee and tea stuff when it's not on the counter.

My island has a small drawer that holds all of my serving utensils. Again, I've used corkboard tiles to keep things from sliding around inside the drawer.

Some tips for organizing your own kitchen:

Make it pretty. Pretty spaces are fun to keep tidy.

Have less stuff than you have room for. If every space is filled, your whole system will break down the first time you come home with something new.

Be creative. You don't need expensive organizing tools in order to have an organized kitchen.

Thanks for enduring the longest blog post in the history of man...

But wait, there's more! Remember back on day one of this series when I said there was going to be a linky party for all of you to share your fabulous organizational projects? Well, I've set that date for Thursday October 27th.

This is going to be my first time hosting a linky party and I want it to be a great success, filled with tons of organize-y goodness! So please spread the word! I've even made this nifty little button for you to pin or add to your own blog!

I hope you will plan to swing by on October 27th to link up your own home organization projects!

Cute! Love your kitchen (especially the amount of storage space and how you've used it)!

Can I make an efficiency suggestion? I would use the blackboard for the meal plan or something else; by writing the grocery items on it, don't you end up needing to copy them down onto a piece of paper to take to the store? Or you could replace the blackboard with a roll of craft paper. :-)

I use a dry erase board. When I am ready to go to the grocery store I take a picture of it with my cell phone. Since I use coupons and sales I don't always buy everything on the list every time, I don't erase it till I get back. Then I delete the pic on my phone. Your ideas are good too. But this is one way to keep from having to re-write the list.Tammy C.Oklahoma

I love what you've done, especially the knives! brilliant! Our new home gives me a whopping FOUR drawers (not deep) plus 5 cabinets. That's it. It's not enough to store anything! I hope you do a post on creative organizing solutions :D

I know exactly where your at there. I had a short stay move in San Antonio (My husband is in the military.) so I grabbed an apartment really quick. The kitchen has one drawer about six inches wide and maybe nine inches deep. It has three full cabinets (two under the sink) and eight of those little half cabinets that they put above fridges. I'm short I can't even reach them. I can not wait to move next month.

That tension rod for lids in the drawer really was ingenious. I'm impressed. Now if only I had a drawer to use it on...Okay, if only I had more than two lower cabinets! ;) I may have to play with some organizing ideas now!

Do you guys have your pots and pans in a cupboard? you could get short (width of your cupboard door) curtain rods and use those inside, make sure you place them at the right height so the shelf in the cupboard doesn't hit the lid inside or the rod. Also, they make cabinet door lid holders. Google it, or go to spacesavers.com and look there... they have LOTS of awesome (fairly inexpensive) organizing helpers!!! Good luck!

I really love your (frugal) organizational ideas. Does the cork really keep utensils from sliding around? I'm a huge fan of your custom sized Island. Was it a DIY? Great work on yet another day of home inspiration! J

I like your kitchen. My 3 drawers were drooling with envy while reading the post (or was it me?)- even though you don't have what I consider an enormous kitchen (you should see my in-laws!) you've done great with what you have.

I love your kitchen but my favorite is the dirty dishes bin. I have made the mistake one too many times to hide dirty dishes in the oven. And of course I always forget about them being there until after I turn on my oven, it's preheated, and I smell something burning OR I open the open to put food in there.

Love your kitchen!! It looks somewhat like mine. I have white cabinets with black or bronze hardware, white appliances, the same wall color and my kitchen chairs are painted black, too. My countertop is a country blue, though. Love all of your organizing ideas. Glad I found you!!

OMG your kitchen has me OBSESSED! It's so clean looking, functional and, for a kitchen-holic like me, I'm now inspired to get my butt home and reorganize. Love! Thanks so much for the fabulous ideas (and I'm sure that your blog will become one of my "daily must reads).

WOW...Amazing!! I had 4 kids under 5 (I cheated by having twins). Now they are ages 13-8. Thanks for a new motivation to get my kitchen organized again. It's been awhile!! I definitely can get rid of some unwanted tools. I am the crazy clutter lady over at www.crazyclutterlady.blogspot.com. Hope you can take a peek sometime!!!

I saw this on iheartorganizing and I love this, so many great ideas! I am now inspired to purge my utensil drawer (and more). I have been putting it off for a very long time. (Also, I think we have the same counter in our kitchen.)

I wish you were my sister and would come help me organize my kitchen (my whole house). Your kitchen is the best organized I have seen! Thank you for sharing! Wonder if you have any suggestions (future post) for a kitchen with only two small (8") drawers? I am in envy of all your drawers! gelswood@aol.com

You have some great ideas here. I lack the space in my kitchen to incorporate much storage so I do envy you. Perhaps you will do a blog post on how to create storage in an extremely tight kitchen space. Perhaps a good use for the cupboard space above the fridge that I can't reach without a stool. Also, I've had to buy a pantry cupboard for food and place it in my dining room :( Typical small basement apartments.

For the lady who mentioned using the chalkboard for another use, a good idea...however, it is a perfect use for me as I take a photo of my grocery list with my cell phone on the way out the door. lol Use less paper and saves time having to rewrite it.

I am a teacher just beginning summer break. I am determined to get my house organized before I return to school in August. Thank you for your wonderful ideas and for sharing the tranquil essence of your family life!

I have an app on my IPhone for Notes and one for Reminders...I use the note one more. I just type in my running list (when I think of something I need) and when I am at the store, I delete each one as I put it in the basket...if I don't have a coupon for it, etc., I leave it on the list for next time...works great for me! Love your blog...what an inspiration! My main blog is www.thevilulateagarden.blogspot.com xxx Paula

We are empty nesters and When I start to organize,,,i look around and all my husbands tools, clothes junk hanging all over, he has no concept of pick up after yourself...I give up organizing before I start...tho I am pretty good at picking up after self..just worn mentallyHow is everyone onboard at your house or do you just do for all...?I am not going to be total whack over it all...

I found this through Pinterest and I'm in awe! We move into our first house next week, and I'm determined to start off organized! Thanks for your amazing ideas - I love the cork board, cute contact paper, and tension rod. Can't wait to try them!

I came across your MASSIVE spring cleaning on Pintrest and fell in love with you! I started on it today, and though I still have a lot to do, considering I have a 17 month and almost 4 year old at home with me, I feel pretty accomplished for the day. I've spent all my cleaning breaks reading your blog and I look forward to following you!

I'm coming in on this challenge about a year late, but I'm going to work through all 31 days. I love your organizing ideas, and like you I don't want to have to buy a gazillion expensive plastic tubs and containers to keep everything neat and tidy. You house looks so homey and inviting! I also love the knit dishcloths you have. My Mom knits those too.

I'm supposed to give a program on "Spring Cleaning" and organizing in the spring of 2013... I loved finding this on pinterest and coming to your blog! Thank you for the wonderful ideas and list of things to clean & ideas to make it easier (love the crockpot food for supper!)

Hi Kelly, congratulations and thank you for your blog that I am just discovering! I love how you organize your house and how you explain it to us in a simple and didcatic way :)Just a question about your great kitchen: what is the purpose of the island? Maybe it is usual in the US, but I've never seen that before and I am curious as we are about to design our new kitchen. Thanks!

I love your pretty, organized cabinets! About two years ago, I emptied all the kitchen cabinets onto the counters and table and ONLY put back what I actually used. The space! I had no idea how much cabinet space I actually had! There were things hiding in the backs of cabinets that we had recieved as wedding gifts EIGHT YEARS AGO that we never used. :P. It felt so good to rid myself of all that useless junk. Now I just have to convince my mom to let me at hers... ;)

I was about to be completely fascinated and surprised about your orinizational abilities and then I read about you ... you are a stay at home mom. You do not work. If I did that too, I would be organized. I don't have a husband to provide for my every whim ... seriously ... I was hoping to find a woman who WORKS and also is able to keep things organized ... must be nice to have someone hand you over money whenever you want, and spend your spare time making "crafts" and "labels" ...

Clearly you are making a judgment on something you know nothing about. I spend a lot of time with Kelly. She is a busy, busy mother and wife who has a gift for organization, but that is only a minor part of who she is. She is more dedicated to her family than many people i know. I, too, am a stay at home mom and i don't do half the stuff she does because it's not my area that I am good at. However, you probably would just assume for the stay-at-home moms who aren't crafty or organized that we just sit around and watch tv all day. Many moms who stay at home do NOT have our husbands providing for our every whim....we have chosen to sacrifice certain luxuries in order to stay home for our family. Every family is different, and a working mom and a stay at home mom both have different responsibilities and both can work just as hard at their roles. It's really sad to hear that there are still people out there who will judge a situation they know nothing about.

I am a working woman and Kelly has repeatedly offered me amazing time-saving organizational ideas while encouraging me to focus on family and only do what I can realistically do. She is the first one to remind me that I shouldn't compare myself to other women or magazines and offer suggestions for making the best use of my time. Kelly is very organized and runs a good and happy home on a tight budget. She is an inspiration to many of us, working and not. What you are seeing here in this post did not happen over night, but was the completion of a major project that Kelly set out to do and stayed at it until she accomplished it - that in itself is amazing, stay-at-home or otherwise.

Dear Anonymous, You know, you are right....being a stay-at-home mom is a great luxury that I enjoy and am immensely grateful for. And while my husband certainly doesn't cater to my every whim or hand over money for whatever I may want, he does serve and love our family with joy and passion, so I am grateful for him as well.

I make an effort with this blog to encourage women to create a home that works for them and blesses their family, whatever their unique circumstances may be. I'm sorry if any of my words made you feel judged or condemned or pressured to make labels and crafts you do not have time for, that was not my intention. Feel free to implement the ideas that work for you and ignore the rest.

I have been both a stay at home mom and a mom who works outside of the home. I have enjoyed both. Both gave me great blessings. What I have always worked towards was how to be a Godly and balanced woman, regardless of my position, job, employment status, marital status, perception of the life my friend's lived, my husband's willingness to cater to his wife. Whatever position I have held, be it paid or unpaid, appreciated or judged, whatever gifts and talents I have or do not have, at the end of each day I had to make account to two people; God and myself. My job is never to break down another person, judge them or trample over their hard work. Some of us are brave enough to share their gifts. Some of us are gracious and thankful enough to graciously receive them, without judgement or nasty finger pointing. Kelly is gracious enough to share, can you be gracious enough to receive?

I am a career driven woman. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for my “hubby” and 2 dogs, but my entire life has been focused on my career and working outside of the home and as a result I have become very successful.

I found your comment “I was hoping to find a woman who WORKS and also is able to keep things organized” insulting, incorrect and inaccurate.

I know Kelly. She is my sister-in-law. However, Kelly’s drive, commitment and dedication to her WORK, being a stay at home mother, sometimes put me to shame. Every new child is a promotion, with additional duties and responsibilities and people to supervisor. Every task (new or old), from home schooling, to blogging, to organizing her kitchen, takes specific knowledge, skills and abilities. Her job requires organization, prioritization, time management, negotiations, corrective action, motivation, health & safety, operations, accounting, quality and risk management. In fact, Kelly is not unlike a general manager, running a functioning and productive company.

However, there is no 9 to 5 or weekends off. The is no quitting or making a change in career. At this point, she can only add to her work load not subtract.

Yes, there might be some women fit your “idea” of a stay at home mother, but there also are some woman who work outside of the home and put in just as little work as that “idea”. Kelly is in fact the opposite, besides running this company; she goes above and beyond to put her friends and family first in addition to creating a comfortable and welcoming home to all.

I find it hard to believe that you “read about her” because if you truly did your comment would have only been “I was completely fascinated and surprised about your organizational abilities” (end of sentence).

If some people were happy with their circumstances, they wouldn't write sniping comments like anonymous did. The envy in her post was undeniable, unfortunately. I am divorced and have to work as well, and I also wish I could stay at home, but I can see how much work you have put into your home and I like to see how others do things to make life a bit easier or more fun. Anonymous, read the blog with an attitude of seeing what can work in your own life an quit making snarky comments to someone whose circumstances are different than yours.

Amazing organization you have! Its a great blessing indeed. I love to organize but don't have the 'skills' i guess? I really wanna organize my kitchen cabinets especially the ones where we put all our plastic storage containers (we have about 75+ of them cuz we're a big family...and we also have the lentils in glass jars and the cheese shredders in the upper shelf of the cabinet!!). Please if you have any tips for that, share on your blog or leave a comment here. I got a lot of ideas from you and making my hubs happy :) Thanks a bunch!

I'm so happy you have created this page to show others how to organize! I just did my walk-in closet and I'm moving to my kitchen next. When my boyfriend sees me doing this he goes, "uh-oh, the OCD is acting up!" LOL. If I could make one suggestion - I think a tile-type mural would look fantastic above the stove and you could place your pots and pans (stacked) in your corner cabinet. Just a tiny suggestion in case you ever wanted to change it up and add a touch more color to your kitchen :)

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